Page 8 - John Ness News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

>> john, give me an idea of what it was like inside that cooler. were people screaming? were they scared? were they calm? >> people were screaming, people were praying, people were crying. i know it seemed like everybody was holding on to everybody. i believe it was everybody's efforts. the employees as well as the customers who were holding onto and keeping each other from any more possibility of being hurt or injured. >> can i ask both of you -- >> at a certain point -- >> yes, go ahead, rick. >> i was just going to say, at a certain point, even the roof of the produce cooler halfway collaps...

And so we just all jumped in the cooler. it's pretty small, so everyone was pretty tight, you know. everyone was getting kind of crushed. there was broken glass everywhere. >> the dillon supermarket in joplin was one of the major businesses that took a direct hit from last sunday's tornado. assistant manager john and customer rick morgan were both in the store as the storm approached. they join us now. i believe it's the first time you've seen each other since last sunday. fy have this right, that is when rick, you said, i'm leaving and john said, no you're not, is that about right? >> well, y...

that is a monster tornado. >> reporter: battle hardened storm chasers in awe of nature's power. >> oh, my gosh. this is awful. dude, the trees. the trees are debarked! >> reporter: residents running for cover anywhere they could. >> in a crowded convenience store some 20 people hunkering down in a darkened commercial refrigerator. >> can we go in the cooler? [ screaming ] >> go! >> oh, dear heaven. >> god! >> reporter: at the same time a security camera in a nearby frozen yogurt shop catches the chaos. workers moving customers to the back and then everything goes flying. the massive ...

>> reporter: battle hardened storm chasers in awe of nature's power. >> oh, my gosh. this is awful. dude, the trees. the trees are debarked! >> reporter: residents running for cover anywhere they could. >> in a crowded convenience store some 20 people hunkering down in a darkened commercial refrigerator. >> can we go in the cooler? [ screaming ] >> go! >> oh, dear heaven. >> god! >> reporter: at the same time a security camera in a nearby frozen yogurt shop catches the chaos. workers moving customers to the back and then everything goes flying. the massive tornado mowing down everyth...

Blackened. the top of the roof was gone. the doors to the emergency room were blown open. >> reporter: now, the newly wounded flooded into the hospital. >> they began running through and jumping over tables, through our e.r. doors that had busted open. many were bleeding profusely. immediately when i started seeing them, all fear is gone for myself. i mean, those patients needed us. >> reporter: as the injured flooded to the hospital for care, mcdaniel was desperately trying to get his grandmother out. >> they took us down to the second floor and there was about ankle deep of water and we were...